What are the differences between electric boiler vs gas boilers

Boilers play a fundamental role in homes throughout the UK. Let’s face it that there are few that would disagree that life without heating or hot water throughout the colder winter months is a miserable affair. Your heating accounts for approximately 60% of your energy bills, so it pays to do some homework and understand what your options are when it comes to keeping your home as energy-efficient and cost-effective as possible. Here we explain a bit about the differences between electric and gas boilers and what they have to offer.

Pros of electric heating

Although gas central heating is known to be cheaper than electric heating systems, electric heating systems have the advantage of easier and cheaper installation. No pipe-work or flue is required and unlike gas heating, electric heating is available to everyone. Electric heaters are also very easy to maintain and since they don’t pose the same dangers as gas heating systems such as releasing toxic fumes, there is no need to have them serviced annually.

Cons of electric heating

On the flip side electric heating costs approximately three or four times more than gas to heat your home up on a day to day basis. Even if using the Economy 7 or Economy 10 rates, tariffs during the daytime are higher than on standard single rate electricity tariffs, which means that if you need to use your heating or appliances during the day, things can get very expensive.

Pros of gas central heating

Gas has the advantage over electric heating of being much more affordable, which would explain why most households in the UK use gas as their no. 1 energy choice. It also heats up the home much more effectively than electric heaters and many modern condensing boilers are now 90% or more efficient, unlike standard boilers that lose hot gases through the flue. Maintaining your gas central heating system is easy since owing to its popularity and widespread use, there are many plumbers throughout the UK that are Gas Safe Registered.

Cons of gas central heating

If you’re not on the gas network, installing a gas central heating system from scratch can be extremely expensive and inconvenient. Gas prices are constantly increasing due to the UK becoming more increasingly dependent on imported gas. Gas central heating is not as safe as electric heating and poses a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. For this reason gas heating systems requires more maintenance and regular safety checks than electric heating.